Wellacre Country Park

Wellacre Wood 

It was a bright, sunny morning so the moment I stepped out of the door the clouds rolled in and twilight descended at lunchtime.

I got the 256 into Flixton and walked into Wellacre Wood. For all the largely dry weather this week it was muddy underfoot, it's not really been drying weather after last weekend's shocker. Robins sang, goldfinches twittered in the treetops, blackbirds rummaged about in the brambles and woodpigeons and parakeets settled down to roost in the trees by the school.

Wellacre Wood 

Wellacre Country Park 

The horses were all in the field by Jack Lane. Actually, they were all in one corner watching a girl trying to persuade her pony to come to bridle. In the end she went to the pony which accepted the bridle readily enough but wasn't for moving once it was on. A couple of magpies joined the spectators. The other fields were carpeted with dozens of woodpigeons.

Jack Lane 

Jack Lane nature reserve was dead quiet but there were plenty of birds about. A mixed tit flock silently passed through the hawthorns by the path and suddenly disappeared the moment they reached a patch of ivy on a tree. A dozen or more woodpigeons settled in to roost in the high hedgerow over by the lane and a similar number of magpies quietly settled in the trees by the far corner. A small flock of chaffinches flew in and immediately disappeared into the hedgerow with the woodpigeons. Oddly, there wasn't a sign of any waterbirds.

Dutton's Pond 

It got gloomier as I walked to Dutton's Pond. Robins and wrens sang in the trees, woodpigeons and parakeets flew to roost. I realised I hadn't seen any gulls passing overhead. Dutton's Pond had already shut up shop for the night, the moorhens muttering to themselves in the reeds.

I listened to the songs of robins and chatter of magpies on Fly Ash Hill and headed off for the train home. It had been an oddly quiet walk round.